Electrical knob



No. 622,77. Patented Mar. 28, |899.

- C. M, BROWN.

ELECTRICAL KNB. application med Feb. 426, 189s.) (No Model.) 2 `Sheets--Sheet |NVENTOR`* @01. f,

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ELECTRICAL KNOB.

(Application filed Feb. 26, 1898.]

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ATTOR N EYS UNITED STATES lPA'irnNir OFFICE.

CORNELIUS M. BROWN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE WATTS, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL KNOB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,177, dated March 28, 1899.

Application iiled February 26,1898. Serial No. 671,761. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS M. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Knobs; and I dol hereby declare the following to be a fu-ll, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to certain improvements in that class of knobs represented by those shown in my prior applications filed April 7, 1897, Serial No. 631,073, and December 3, 1897, Serial No. 660,572, the object of the present improvements being to simplify and toreduce the cost of construction; to avoid the necessity of name-plates or similar advertising devices independent of the knob in connection with the door or its frame, and thus avoid the necessity of damaging the door or frame by the applicati-0n thereto of said plates or devices; to secure increased convenience in the operation of unlatching or unlocking said door or of electrically alarming the occupants of the house, room, or apartment or to notify them of the fact of the manipulation of said knob, and to secure other advantages and results,- some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved knob and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

of. Fig. 5 is a section of the same, taken at line z. Fig. 6 is a plan of one of a series or plurality of advertising plates or cards adapted to be inserted in said knob at the front of the plate last referred to. Fig. 7 is a front view of the knob, showing certain preferred details of construction. Fig. 8 is a plan in detail of the front plate, showing a construction which is sometimes preferred. Fig. 9 is a section of the same, taken through line z'. Fig. 10 is a front view of a knob of modified construction. Fig. 1l is a sectional view showing other details and modifications of construction. Fig. 12 is a detail plan showing the rear side of the front plate and showing the eyelet for holding the indicating-hand in place, and Fig. 13 is a sectional detail showing another modification of construction or variation.

In said drawings, a indicates 4the door, frame, or other fixture or device to which the knob is applied.

b indicates the knob, the shank b' of which is attached to the door either rigidly or pivotally to permit the turning of the knob, if such is desired. The said knob and its shank is preferably hollowed out, as at b", and forms at the front a receptacle for advertising cards or plates Z. These may be permanently arranged within said chamber or receptacle or may be removable and interchangeable in the ,manner shown in my prior applications above referred to.

The hollow shank b of the knob is preferably provided with the terminals c c of an electrical circuit. Said terminals are suitably insulated from the metallic parts of the knob to prevent short-circuiting, the insulation being shown at d d. Said contacts or terminals are also insulated from the knobspindle e when the latter is of metal or is otherwise electrically conductive. Said terminals c c may be arranged in place in any suitable manner, and suitable passages or ways are provided for the circuit-wires f, whereby the said wires will be safely guarded from interference or wear. Said terminals c may be fastened to the knob-spindle e when such is used, so as to turn therewith, or said terminals may be attached to the door. or other fixture to which the knob is applied, or said terminals,

again, may be attached to the knob or shank, so as to turn therewith. In connection with the circuit-wires f I employ a suitable electrical generator g and an alarm device h, which may be a bell or other form of sounder, or in lieu of the bell or sounder or in addition thereto I may employ an electrical lock, latch, or other appliances to be operated electrically from the knob, as hereinafter described. IVithin the said hollow shank b I also employ a circuit-closing device t'. This is preferably in the form of a U -shaped staple, the ends of which are adapted to be pressed back into contact with the terminals, a sliding contact being preferred to secure a more perfect and positive metallic connection. The said circuit-closer z' may be arranged in grooves or recesses 1l in the knob-shank, as indicated in Fig. 2, or be arranged in grooves or recesses in the knob, as shown in Fig. 13, or said circuit-closer may be otherwise disposed to secure a contact and connection with the terminalsA c and the closure of the circuit at the knob. The circuit-closer is normally held ont of contact with the terminals by means of a spring j or other suitablemeans.

To effect a contact when it is desired to unlatch the door or sound an alarm, I have provided a push-button k. This may be arranged to slide in a plate Z., having a tubular shank or rearward extension m, which serves to hold the said push-button in proper relation to the circuit-closer. The said plate Z may be fixed with relation to the knob or, and preferably, it is adapted to slide in the chamber of the knob, the side walls of said knob serving as a slideway for said plate. Said plate is held normally out toward the front opening of the knob by a spring n., which is of suitable width to operate upon said plate Z at or near its opposite edges, so that said plate will not be liable to tilt sidewise wit-hin the chamber when pressed backward. By this construction the pressure of the finger at the front of the k'nob will throw back the push-button and sliding plate and effect a contact of terminals and a closure of the electrical circuit. rllhe face of the said front plate is provided with advertising or indicating inscriptions or devices. In Fig. 1 the said inscriptions are shown upon separate interchangeable cards, which are held forward to the opening or against a transparent plate o by said front plate and the spring fn, or said plate Z may have the advertising inscription applied direct thereto by painting, enameling, or otherwise. Said plate mayand preferably is centrally perforated to permit the push-button 7c to be repressed independently of said plate, and at said perforation I may fasten thereto by means of an eyelet k" or other fastening devices a dial-hand e, as indicated in Figs. 7, 8, and l2, in which case the push-button extends through said eyelet.

Vhere I cover the advertising matter and the end of the push-button with a transparent plate o to protect the same from the moisture of the fingers and the danger incident to a repeated contact with the hand, I prefer to bevel the edges of said plate o and form at the front of the knob a retaining-shoulderp, interiorly beveled, which limits the outward movement of said plate 0, bringing it flush with the outer face of the shoulder. Said shoulder p will also be employed, should the plate 0 be dispensed with, in retaining the plate Z in place, so that thespring n cannot force said plate from'position.

When I employ interchangeable plates Z', adapted to be removed, so as to present a new and different inscription at the front opening, I prefer to form at one side ofthe knob, as at q, a slideway or opening through which the plate may be drawn in the operation of making the interchange. This opening is preferably formed back of the forward plane of the said plates Z Z', so that to remove said plates it will be necessary first to press said plates backward and at the same time make an electrical closure, and thus alarm the inmates of the house. By this means should manipulation of the plates be attempted by any unauthorized persons the alarm will be made, so that the inmates maybe brought to the door, and thus stop such improper inteference.

I am aware that various other modifications in the construction of my knob may be made to provide for the specific variations of conditions, and I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction' and arrangement positively described excepting as the state of the art may require. For example and as van illustration of further modifications, itis evident that the knob may be devoid of a knob-spindle, as indicated in Fig. ll, and in this event what is shown as a shanked knob maybe employed as a pushbutton casing orfixed knob. Again, the front plate may cover the push-button, so that the latter does not appear, as in Fig. 10, and the inscriptions may be applied directly, by painting or other means, to the glass plate, either at the front or rear thereof.

IIaving thus described the invention,what I claim as new is- 1. The combination with the knob open at the front,vof a transparent repression-plate closing said opening, advertising devices arranged back of said transparent plate, and terminals and circuit-closin g devices adapted to be closed in connection with the repressing of the front plate, substantially as set forth. p

2. The combination with a chambered knob having a slideway q, at one side, interchangeable repression-plates adapted to be inserted and removed through said slideway, and a spring holding said plates normally forward, of circuit-closing devices adapted to be closed in connection with repressing the plates, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a chambered knob, opened at the front, o f a plate arranged at and closing the front opening, a push-button behind said plate, a spring for holding the roo IIO

said plate to said front opening, circuit-terminals and means for connecting said terminals with a battery, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the chambered and open-front knob, of a transparent plate closing the front opening, a dial-plate and indexhand, a push-button and electrical terminals and connections and springs for holding said plates normally at the front opening and the circuit normally open substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the chambered and open-front knob, of an advertising-plate, having an inscription or legend, at the front opening, and adapted to be pressed back by the finger, a push-button adapted to be pressed back simultaneously with the legend-plate, terminals arranged in the chamber behind said advertising-plates, a spring holding said push-button normally open and electrical connections substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the chambered and open-front knob, open at one side, of a transparent plate, a recessed plate having a pointer adapted to be drawn out at the side opening, a spring holding said plates forward, terminals of an electrical circuit and a circuitcloser, substantially asset forth.

7. The improved knob for doors, or the like having a chambered body with a front and a side opening, a sliding front-plate receptacle recessed and perforated, an electric push-button with its forward end projecting through the perforation and resting against the rear side of a front transparent plate, said transparent plate, and electrical devices acted on by said push-button, said plate or plates adapted to be removed or interchanged and be pressed backward and drawn outward at the side opening of the chamber substantially 4o as set forth.

8. The combination with the chambered knob open at the front, of a transparent plate closing thefront opening, perforated advertising-plates lying back of said transparent plate, a push-button extending through said 

